Freight-gar



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. J. ADAMSON. FREIGHT GAR.

No. 538,439. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

A TTORNEY.

. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

A. J. ADAMSON.

FREIGHT GAR.

No. 538,439. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

lNVENTO/f V add/11W WITNESSES: in};

l WW4 ATTORNEY.

\NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDREW J. ADAM$ON, OF SABETHA, KANSAS.

FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,439, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed March 16, 1894.

T0 at whomvit 11mg concern: 1

Beit known that I, ANDREW J. ADAMSON, of Sabetha, in the county of Nemaha and State of Kansas, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Freight-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements'in cars, and more particularly to improvements in freight cars.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved yielding or spring floor for cars exceedingly simple and durable in construction and which can be easily placed in or removed from the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car with an improved yielding or spring supplemental floor constructed in sections so that the floor can be easily handled or transported.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a car with-a supplemental or spring bottom wherein the floor can be forced down to its rigid seat without injuring or completely compressing the springs. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a car with a yielding or spring supplemental fioor and with yielding end walls or partitions.

The invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully and particularly described and pointed out hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a portion of. a car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isadetail perspective of one of the supplemental-floor sections reversed, the springs not being shown. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the supplemental floor and side of the car.

In the drawings, the reference letter a, is an ordinary car, such as a freight car, having the ordinary rigid floor, and end and side walls.

I), is a supplemental removable spring floor Serial N0. 503,396. (No model.)

beams c, or other supports at the lower side of the floor and on which the floor planking is secured. These cross beams c, constitute rigid rests or supports arranged to rest on the ordinary floor of the car when the supplemental floor is forced or loaded down to its limit of downward movement.

d, are the coiled springs yieldingly upholding the supplemental floor. These springs are preferably secured at their upper ends to the supplemental floor between the rests or supports thereof so that their lower ends rest on the floor proper of the car. The springs are thus arranged so'th'at the supplemental floor can be forced down to its rigid seat or base without completely compressing the springs, thereby preventing injury to the springs. This is accomplished by securing the springs so that their upper ends are arranged in planes above the lower ends of the rigid rests of the supplemental floor which rest on the floor proper. Thus the cross beams of the supplemental fioor reston the car fioor proper, while the springs are arranged between said beams extending up to the supplemental floor planking or boards. Suitable springs can be employed although I here show volute coiled springs.

The supplemental floor can be suitably,

guided in its vertical movements by any suitable means. In the present instance the longitudinal sills or beams e; are secured on opposite sides of the floor proper of the car at the lower edges of the car sides with suitable rigid plates or metal strips f, secured thereto projecting upwardly beyond their inner edges.

The supplemental floor has lateral arms g, rigidly secured thereto and projecting from the outer edges thereof through vertical elongated guide slots h, in said strips or plates f.

The ends of these arms within the said strips and over the sills e, can be provided with the anti-friction rollers j.

If desired vertical pins 70, can be provided passing through slots Zin the arms 9, to guide the same. The rollers j, work vertically between the inner surfaces of the car side walls and the plates f, so as to hold the supplemental floor against lateral rocking and yet permit free vertical play thereof. If desired the anti-friction rollers can be dispensed with and the vertical pins k, and slots Z, used instead. It will be observed that these guiding means for the supplemental floor permit the sections thereof to be easily removed vertically.

WVhen the supplemental floor sections have been properly arranged they are usually secured or locked together in any suitable manner so that they all move together as one integral floor.

Great advantages areattained by providing a supplemental floor in sections, as the sections can be readily removed from the car to permit cleaning or for other purposes, and

ordinary freight cars can be quickly and easily provided with such floors, and the floors can be easily transported.

The ends of the car can be provided with yielding ends or partitions n, so as to take up the endwise or longitudinal jar imparted to the packages or load of the car during stopping, starting, &c., of the train. The load resting against the said yielding ends is thus prevented from being injured by being suddenly forced against the rigid car ends. These partitions can be hung by means of hooks 0, or other devices from the rods 19, arranged longitudinally in the upper portion of the car and supported by suitable cross bars. The partition hangers are arranged to slide on said rods so that the partitions can freely yield longitudinally of the car.

The hangers are preferably in the form of hooks so that the partitions can beeasily removed.

q, are the coiled springs secured to the partitions and interposed between the car ends and said partitions. These partitions have the cross beams on their rear sides to prevent the springs being injured.

The great advantages and utility of this invention are obvious, as the cars can carry loads of eggs, fruit, stock, &c., without injuring the same by jars and shocks usually incident to railway transportation.

Having thus fully described .my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A car having a supplemental spring floor arranged on the car floor proper, said 3. The car having the vertical guides at its sidewalls, and thesupplemental floor provided with sustaining springs resting on the car floor proper, said guides extending above the horizontal plane of the supplemental floor and the lateral arms from the edges of the supplemental floor passing between said guides and having the projections behind the same.

4. Asupplemental car floor comprising the cross beams and the boards thereon and the coiled springs between the cross beams and secured to the boards so that the supplemental floor can be inserted or removed complete from the car.

5. The herein described supplemental removable car floor constituting a complete floor to sustain the load and formed in removable sections fittingtogether and having the springs secured to the under side thereof and provided with vertical guides to prevent lateral play,.substantially as described.

6. The supplemental carfioor composed of the removable sections fitting together to form a complete floor, each section having coiled springs secured to its under side to rest on the car floor proper so that the sections can be readily applied to or removed from a car, substantially as described.

7. A supplemental car floor for cars composed of separate removable sections sustained by springs and fitted together to form the complete floor, s ubstantially as described.

8. A supplemental spring floor formed to be placed on an ordinary car floor and composed of sections fitting together, each section complete in itself with coiled springs secured to its underside to rest on the car floor and rigid rests to engage the car floor if the supplemental floor is overloaded, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two \Vitnesses:

HUBERT E. PECK, C. M. WERLE. 

